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Big Ten's Best: WRs 2000-2010

By Mike Wolf -
3 years ago

So you think the Big Ten is all about running the ball and defense, huh? Think again. As the sport has evolved and become a passing game recently, the Big Ten has done its part and produced some of the game’s top wide receivers. The 2000s is no exception. The decade featured some of the elite receivers in Big Ten annals, both from a talent and numbers perspective. Michigan State’s Charles Rogers and Michigan’s Braylon Edwards both won the Biletnikoff Award, while Purdue’s Taylor Stubblefield finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leading receiver (325 catches). Watch a clip from Tuesday’s show now and see the entire top 10 list in this post.

Braylon Edwards, MICHIGAN
-Finished career with 3,541 yards and 39 TD
-Set Michigan season records for receptions (97) and yards (1,330) as a senior
-Holds career records for 252 receptions, 3,541 yards and 39 touchdowns,a Big Ten record.
-Only wide receiver in Big Ten history and the third in NCAA Division I-A annals to gain 1,000 or more receiving yards in three consecutive years.
-Holds the Michigan record for the most games with 100 or more receiving yards (17)
-Won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top wide receiver
-Tied record for most TD catches in a Rose Bowl game, with three in 2005 game

Lee Evans, WISCONSIN
-Finished career with 3,468 yards, 27 TD
-Recorded 64 receptions for 1,213 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior.
-As a junior, caught 75 passes for 1,545 yards (an average of 20.1 yards per reception) and 9 touchdowns.
-Caught 10 passes for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns in a victory over Michigan State as a senior.

Taylor Stubblefield, PURDUE
-Finished career with 3,629 yards, 21 TD
-Ranks as the all-time NCAA receptions leader (325)
-First player to lead the conference in receptions two seasons in a row since Ohio State’s David Boston (1998)
-As a junior, led Big Ten in receptions (86), totaled 835 yards and three touchdowns; as a senior, caught a Big Ten-leading 89 passes for 1,095 yards and 16 touchdowns
-Tied a Sun Bowl record with 9 receptions, set records with 196 receiving yards and 244 all-purpose yards in 2001 game

James Hardy, INDIANA
-Posted 61 catches for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman on way to earning Freshman All-America honors
-Hauled in 51 passes for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore
-His 20 receiving touchdowns in his first two years tied him with Ernie Jones (1984-1987) for second on the university’s all-time list
-Dominated junior season, with 79 receptions, 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns
-Finished career as Indiana’s all-time receiving leader in touchdowns (36), yards (2,690) and receptions (186)

Charles Rogers, MICHIGAN STATE
-Finished career with 2,821 yards, 27 TD
-Broke Randy Moss’ NCAA record of 13 straight games with a touchdown catch
-Holds school records for most TDs in a career (27) and most receiving yards in a game (270)

Santonio Holmes, OHIO STATE
-Caught 245 passes for 2,295 yards and 25 touchdowns, while gaining 3,123 all-purpose yards
-Totaled 240 career receptions and 3,496 yards, both ranking fifth-highest in school history at the time; his 25 touchdowns ranked third

Brandon Lloyd, ILLINOIS
-Finished career ranked second in receiving yards (2,583) and touchdown catches (21) and third in all-time receptions (160) in Illinois history
-Consensus First-Team All-Big Ten performer after his sophomore season in 2001, helping lead team to the Sugar Bowl
-Finished career with a 28-game streak with at least one reception
-Caught 65 passes in both 2001and 2002 for a combined 2,072 yards and 19 touchdowns

Eric Decker, MINNESOTA
-Finished career with 3,119 yards, 24 TD
-Set the Minnesota single-season record for receptions (67) as a sophomore
-Broke his own single-season school record for receptions with 84 catches as a junior, while amassing 1,074 yards, good enough for No. 2 in Minnesota history
-One of three Gopher receivers to log a 1,000-yard season

Michael Jenkins, OHIO STATE
-Caught 165 passes for 2,898 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career
-Finished career with at least one reception in 38 consecutive games
-His 2,898 yards rank first in Ohio State history and eighth on the Big Ten career-record list
-Helped the Buckeyes capture the 2002 BCS National Championship
-Caught a career-high 61 receptions for 1,076 yards and 6 touchdowns as a junior

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6 Comments

1a)Braylon 1b) Charles Rogers….this from a UM fan. It took alot of thought on my part just trying to decide who i thought should be number 1 only to see Rogers only get ranked 5th??? Im sorry that is a joke.

Malcolm on 12/17/2011 @ 5:55pm EST Said:

where is David Terrell

Duncan on 7/21/2012 @ 11:31pm EST Said:

Ted Ginn Jr???

jonathan wolfe on 8/22/2012 @ 2:51pm EST Said:

Marvin McNutt- Career 42 Games 170 receptions 2,861 yards 17.0 ypc 28 TDs. Inlcuding a ridiculous senior season- 82rec. 1,315* yds 16.0 ypc 12 TDs. Holds Iowa’s records for TDs in a career 28 and yards in a season with 1,315 in 2011-12. At the conclusion of the 2011 season, McNutt was named first-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. And I believe he was named by BTN as the Big Ten’s best wide receiver at the end of last year.
I think he is better than several of the receivers above.